Love's true kiss
by Snavej
Summary: Based on a thing I saw on Tumblr of this person who lost their voice and works in a Disney shop... [Yasune AU].


"Gene, you cannot possibly be thinking about going to work when you're ill," Luella said, arms crossed over her chest and looking down at her son.

Gene shrugged and shoved another mouthful of cereal into his face.

"Why don't you ask Oliver to go in your place? I'm sure he won't mind just this once."

Gene did not answer straight away.

"He's busy," Gene breathed. "I've only lost my voice. I'm fine otherwise."

"Busy doing what?"

Gene grimaced, knowing that if he answered truthfully, he would be dumping his twin in a world of pain.

"Seeing a friend," he croaked. It was not a lie…

"A friend?" Luella's eyebrows shot up. "Who?" Gene practically watched the cogs in her brain work as she ran through possibilities. "Is it Mai?"

Gene shovelled more cereal into his mouth to avoid answering.

"It is, isn't it?" Luella gushed. "Oh, I'm so glad. Are they dating?"

"Mum, don't make a fuss! You know he's weird about the whole thing. Just leave him be and don't—"

"You should be resting your voice."

"Promise you won't make a fuss," Gene demanded in a raspy whisper.

"I promise I will not make a fuss as long as you rest your voice."

Gene nodded.

"Good, finish your cereal and I'll drop you off. And I want you to call me if you feel any worse, okay?"

Gene nodded again.

He finished eating, grabbed his jacket and followed Luella out to the car. As she drove, Gene watched her from the corner of his eye. She was beaming. He wondered how long her resolve not to bother his brother would last.

She dropped him off at the Shopping Centre. He waved goodbye and walked to the Disney Store, where he worked.

"Morning," John greeted him. "How are you?"

"I've lost my voice," Gene croaked in reply. "Can I work in the back?"

John, who was an assistant manager, frowned.

"Normally, I'd say yes, but we're short staffed today. You're not the only one that's ill." He bit his lip, then grinned. "But I've got an idea."

Gene followed his sort-of boss behind the till, where John grabbed a little notebook and a pen.

"Here, you can use this," he said as he wrote something down on the notebook.

Gene took the notebook and read: **Hi, I can't speak because Ursula the Sea Witch stole my voice! But I'm still happy to help you!**

"Brilliant!" Gene mouthed. He pocketed the notebook.

"Well now that's sorted, can you go and put out the new Aladdin dolls? We got a new shipment in yesterday."

Gene nodded and gave John a thumbs up.

The store opened and slowly customers began to trickle in. John took the brunt of the customers, leaving Gene to clear up and tidy shelves.

But as the store became busier, Gene found himself having to assist the odd customer here and there. Most of the adults laughed at his notebook and made the extra effort to understand his hand gestures. A few just rolled their eyes and walked away, but John picked up the slack.

On the whole, Gene was doing well until—

"Hey, Mister Employee Sir."

Gene looked around to see a small child smiling up at him. He waved and showed her his notebook.

"Hi, I can't speak because Er-suh-ler— Ursula! The Sea Witch stole my voice," she read hesitantly "But I'm still happy to help."

Gene smiled and took the notebook back.

"I was looking for a…" But she cut herself off. "Do you not have a prince?"

Gene frowned and mouthed, "A prince?"

"Yes! Ariel had a prince and they kissed and then she got her voice back! So we have to find you a prince!"

Gene, before he could argue — which he could not, because he had no voice — the little girl grabbed his hand and dragged him away from where he had been standing.

She pulled him toward the nearest young man. Gene half-heartedly tried to stop her, but without much luck.

"Excuse me, are you a prince? This man has had his voice stolen by Ursula and he needs someone to kiss him."

The young man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, looked from the little girl to Gene to the staff logo on Gene's t-shirt. Gene grimaced and showed him his notebook.

The young man laughed.

"Apologies, young lady, but I am no prince. You should keep looking."

She sighed dramatically and yanked Gene off in a new direction. Gene looked around wildly for a concerned looking parent. But no one seemed like they were looking for their daughter.

"Excuse me," she began again. Gene pulled out his notebook again.

Once again, they were rejected. But the little girl — whose name Gene did not know — did not give up. They were rejected several more times and Gene tried to clear up various displays as he was dragged around the shop.

In the end, the little girl led him to the front of the store and started asking passersby.

Gene wrote another note on his notepad.

**Do you want me to help you find something?**

He passed it to the little girl, who read it, mouthing the sounds out as she went.

"But finding your prince is way more important than what I wanted! Moana helps other people solve their problems and I want to be just like her!"

Gene could not argue with this — even if he wanted to.

"Excuse me!"

He looked around at the next victim of this little girl's attention. When he spotted who she was talking to, Gene's cheeks flared red.

"Hello."

The young man was a year older than Gene, about an inch taller and wore glasses. He had an infectious smile and a dangerous twinkle in his eyes.

"My friend here has had his voice stolen by Ursula and I'm looking for a prince to kiss him."

Gene closed his eyes and wished for death.

"Are you now? That's a noble quest you have there."

The little girl beamed. Gene wanted to walk away but she was still holding his hand. He also did not want to upset a child.

"Yes, but we can't let Ursula win. It's not fair."

It had been cute, perhaps even funny, when it was random strangers. But this was someone he _knew_.

Someone he liked.

A lot.

"And what makes a prince a prince?"

The little girl bit her lip.

"Well, Ariel's prince—"

"Eric."

"Yes, him. He's tall and has black hair and a fluffy puppy."

"He's more than just that," the young man objected. "He's also very good at sailing ships and he's a romantic."

The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

"Are you any of those things? You look like him. Well, you would if you took your glasses off."

"Well, I'm not very good at sailing, but I do like going on adventures, does that count?"

She pondered the suggestion.

"I think so. Yes, you'll do then. You have to kiss him."

Gene's eyes widened, utterly mortified.

"Ah, but doesn't it have to be true love's kiss?"

The little girl frowned and nodded.

"So I think what we really need to do, is that I take your friend here on a date to get to know him first, and if it goes well and we fall in love, then I kiss him. How does that sound?"

"I… I suppose that sounds okay."

"Hi Gene."

Gene avoided making eye contact with Yasuhara, but kind of smiled.

"When do you finish?"

Gene held up two fingers. Yasuhara checked his watch.

"Okay then, I'll pick you up here at two. I'll buy us lunch."

"Oh good," the little girl said. "Well now that's all sorted, I better go and find my dad…"

Before Gene could try and help, she ran off back into the shop.

"Sorry," he croaked.

"You really have lost your voice, huh," Yasuhara said, still smiling. "I meant what I said though, I'm picking you up at two."

"You don't have to," Gene mouthed, emphasising his words with hand gestures. "Really it's fine. She was just trying to help."

"Yeah, help me get a date! Unless you don't want to?"

Gene's cheeks, which had almost returned to their normal colour, flared red again.

Yasuhara smirked.

"I'm going to take that as you do want to."

Gene could not deny it.

"I'll see you at two then."

Yasuhara winked, turned on his heel and left the shop. Gene watched him go, elated and confused.

"Daddy! Daddy! This is the man I helped! I found him a prince so he can get his voice back!"

Gene grimaced, turned around and smiled. He showed the man his notebook in explanation. The girl's father laughed and handed it back.

"Inventive, I like it. We're looking for the Moana dolls, can you help us?"

Gene nodded and led them back into the shop, the little girl hot on his heels.

"Are you happy with your prince, Mister Employee?"

Gene paused for a moment and smiled. Though it was not how he imagined getting a date with the guy he had had a crush on for a year — in his mind, it involved a lot more pining and a lot less actually speaking to Yasuhara — he definitely looking forward to the date. Even more so because he knew he literally could not say anything stupid on the date.

He nodded.

"Oh good. Because we were running out of people."

Gene laughed and pointed to the Moana dolls.

"Thank you for being so kind to her," the father said. "She means well."

Gene grinned and nodded his head as he departed for the checkout, where John was ringing up another purchase. Once John was done, Gene pointed to the little girl and forced out the word 'discount'.

"Okay."

"Thanks," he mouthed back and he returned to the shop floor.

He had a feeling the final hour of his shift was going to drag on forever, but it would be worth it for what was waiting for him at the other end.


End file.
